Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Did Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy post a monetary reward for capturing the former Fox News host Tucker Carlson? No, that's not true: As of February 9, 2024, there were no credible reports about that. The claim shared on social media misleads about the discovery of Carlson's name on the Ukrainian website Myrotvorets (Peacekeeper). The claim appeared in a video (archived…

Is a video that shows social media personality Damon Imani interrupting World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab at its 2024 Davos meeting with the f-word real? No, that's not true: Imani wrote on his social media account that the video was satire. The video is edited to show Imani cutting in on Schwab's speech and heckling him with comments where…

Does a viral video show Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dancing in a red suit? No, that's not true: The footage of a different person was altered to add Zelenskyy's face. The dance in question was performed by a man from the Russian city of Lipetsk. The story appeared in a post (archived here) published on Instagram on January 14, 2024.…

Did U.S. Marines arrest Assistant Defense Secretary for Acquisition Tanya Skeen? No, that's not true: A Pentagon duty officer told Lead Stories that this claim is "false." This claim appeared in an article on a website that regularly publishes fabricated content often mistaken for real news. The claim appeared in an article (archived here) published by Real Raw News on…

Is a photograph that purports to show a U.S. certificate of naturalization for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy real? No, that's not true: The certificate is counterfeit. It's missing key components, such as his signature and the signature of the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The image appeared atop an article (archived here) published by DCWeekly on November 29,…

Does a video show Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy begging Western leaders to spend their money on Ukraine? No, that's not true: In the Fox News Channel interview, Zelenskyy was directing his comments toward domestic critics, not anyone in the West. Additionally, he did not call for Western leaders to send all their funds to Ukraine, contrary to the assertion in…

Did Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy buy a $20 million mansion in Vero Beach, Florida? No, that's not true: A post making the claim includes photographs of a house for sale in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, which is more than 200 miles from Vero Beach. The property's listing agents told Lead Stories the claim isn't true and confirmed that the house…

Does the cover of the October 2023 issue of the German satirical magazine Titanic feature a cartoon of people wearing masks depicting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with a title that translates to "This time there won't be enough sweets for everyone"? No, that's not true: Titanic's webmaster confirmed to Lead Stories that this supposed cover is fabricated. The official cover…

Did Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska, the wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, spend over a million dollars on Cartier jewelry in New York City while accompanying her husband on his recent official trip to the United States? No, that's not true: Zelenska was in Canada on the day of the purported shopping spree. Media provided extensive coverage of the…

Did USA Today produce and publish a clip capturing Volodymyr Zelenskyy's bodyguard starting a "drunken brawl" in New York City, and did that incident take place during the Ukrainian president's visit to the United States in September 2023? No, none of that is true: A bar's representative, the NYPD and USA Today refuted the claim. The video doesn't even show…